1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to voice announcements used within communications networks. In particular, the invention relates to a procedure to permit subscribers to record on the fly such announcements for use throughout the network.
2. Description Of Related Art
Known telephone networks provide subscribers with various services, some of which include voice announcements. For example, in many areas of the United States, a subscriber may call for directory assistance and be connected to a computer platform that prompts (i.e., asks) xe2x80x9cwhat cityxe2x80x9d and then prompts xe2x80x9cwhat listingxe2x80x9d. These prompts are announcements (i.e., voice files) that are pre-recorded, often by professionals. The pre-recorded announcement voice files are pre-installed at locations throughout the telephone network when the associated service is provisioned.
In FIG. 3, known telephone network 1 includes a service switching point 4 (called SSP or simply, switch) connected between network subscriber 2 and service control point 6 (called SCP), all comprising part of a signaling network such as ATandT""s SS7 network. ATandT""s SS7 is an out-of-band signaling network to convey source and destination identification signals. Each SCP 6 typically comprises databases and service application programs that affect the logic of each service that is provisioned. In the SS7 network, the digits are received from the subscriber at the SSP, packaged in a message and sent to a supporting SCP. The SCP interprets the digits and sends switch control signals to the SSP to affect the requested service. The network also includes intelligent peripheral 8 (IPe 8) that stores pre-recorded announcements for play back, and includes service provisioning platform 9 that helps provision new services in SCPs of the network.
In known national telephone networks there may be many SCPs, for example 60 or 70 SCPs, and typically over 200 intelligent peripherals 8 to support various announcement services that are offered to subscribers, each intelligent peripheral containing a database of provisioned announcements. In a national telephone network, there may be millions of subscribers that are connected to thousands of SSPs. A single SCP will support many switches. For example, a single SCP may support 50 to 100 switches. Each switch may connect many subscribers to the network, For example up to 10,000 subscribers may be connected to a switch to gain access to the network.
A network operator may offer to its subscribers voice announcement services or other services that use voice announcements when the network""s SCPs are provisioned with the needed service application program. A service application program defines a service and resides in SCP 6. Services that employ voice announcements are supported by one or more intelligent peripherals 8 capable of playing the pre-recorded voice announcements in support of an associated service.
The service application programs for services needing announcements are provided with the announcement ID numbers that refer to the required announcements in an intelligent peripheral at the time of installation. Before the time of installation, the ID numbers of announcements must be coordinated with the ID numbers known to the service application programs that use the announcements. The actual announcements (i.e., the voice files) are stored in intelligent peripheral 8. Announcements for known voice services are pre-installed on one or more of the intelligent peripherals in the network, and the service application programs are pre-installed at one or more of the SCPs. Service provisioning platform 9 is connected to one or more SCPs to deliver provisioning information, tables or the service application program itself to the SCP.
To use the service, a subscriber must be connected to an SSP that is supported by an SCP that has the necessary service application program. When a subscriber uses the service, particular digits provided by the subscriber to the SSP are packaged in a message and sent from the SSP to the SCP. Recognizing the digits, the SCP triggers the service application program which accesses a particular announcement in a particular intelligent peripheral. The service application program that requires an announcement will direct the SSP to connect the subscriber to the intelligent peripheral in order for the intelligent peripheral to play the pre-recorded voice announcements for a subscriber.
Services that play pre-recorded voice announcements are known, but services that permit a subscriber to record an announcement (called xe2x80x9crecording on the flyxe2x80x9d) that may be accessed throughout the network are not known. Known networks lack a procedure for making the announcement available in intelligent peripherals throughout the network while modifying a service application program that has been pre-installed at an SCP so as to be able to address and utilize the newly recorded subscriber announcement.
It is an object of the present invention to facilitate a subscriber""s ability to xe2x80x9crecord on the flyxe2x80x9d announcements while maintaining the integrity of the network announcement database. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process to coordinate and synchronize the ID numbers assigned to announcements throughout the network.
These and other objects are achieved in a method of provisioning a service in a communications network where the network includes plural intelligent peripherals, a single announcement management system, a service provisioning platform and plural service control points controlled by corresponding application programs. The method of provisioning includes recording an announcement at an intelligent peripheral, receiving an ID number associated with the announcement from the announcement management system at the intelligent peripheral, sending the ID number from the intelligent peripheral through a switch to a service control point, distributing the ID number from the service control point to all other service control points, and distributing the announcement and the ID number from the intelligent peripheral to all other intelligent peripherals.